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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Checklists and the business of writing

I got the middle of the week blah's this morning--and it's only Tuesday! I got a lot on my plate and most of it has to be done by the end of the week. With a family, my priorities are constantly changing. Sometimes I don't get it all done, but I try. Somehow the baby gets fed and changed but my housework may sit longer than it should.

I am a compulsive organizer. I organize my time, by making checklists every day and what doesn't get done gets moved to the next day. When I check off something it makes me feel a sense of satisfaction and just good. So I like my checklists and they work for me. I find when I don't use my lists things don't get done or get forgotten. Even for something as simple as going to the grocery store. Frequently I forget if it's not on the list.

This habit of making lists transfers to my writing. I am a plotter by habit. I need to know where I am going to get there. It doesn't have to be a long outline, just a sentence for the scene or a thing to remind me what is supposed to happen.

I even try to organize my year ahead of time. From my corporate days I hear that those people that set goals acheive more. So I have a list of goals I look at every day. They hang right next to my computer. If I am not moving towards those goals than I am not going to be better off than the year before. The one I keep ignoring is to solicit an agent, but it's going to be more realistic in 2010. I hope to attend more events as baby gets older and see agents and editors at those events. The RWA national conference will be in my hometown next year. So I can't miss that!